Geothermal Project Consulting

When consulting on projects, NREL focuses on identifying specific barriers or challenges
that are likely to impact geothermal project development and deployment.

Capabilities

NREL provides technical support to:

Encourage the development, validation, and deployment of geothermal technologies

Assess and evaluate geothermal R&D projects

Evaluate the feasibility of new and innovative geothermal applications.

Electricity Supply and Demand

NREL developed and maintains the U.S. geothermal electricity generation supply curves
used to characterize the technical and commercial potential of geothermal resources.
They are used in market penetration models of present electricity generation infrastructure
and future demand of electricity in the United States and predict how that demand
will be fulfilled, usually by competing a portfolio of electricity generation technologies
against each other so that the lowest-cost resources are deployed first. The model
NREL primarily uses is the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS).

NREL has provided input and expert advice on geothermal resources for such models
in studies such as:

Regulatory and Permitting

Uncertainty about the duration and outcome of a geothermal project permitting process
can be a barrier and deterrent to investment in geothermal projects. Our deep understating
of regulatory and permitting issues across the United States has led to the development
of NREL's Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit.

The RAPID Toolkit helps facilitate communications between project developers and permitting
agency personnel at all jurisdiction levels and among all project stakeholders, including
the public.

Project Development Soft Costs

As part of the GeoVision Study, NREL is conducting analysis of nontechnical barriers that create delays, and increase
the risk and cost of project development. We analyze the impact that logistics, land
access, permitting, transmission, and market barriers may have on geothermal electric
generation and the ability to obtain a power purchase agreement. Soft costs are expenses
that are not considered direct construction costs and, while only a small fraction
of the total geothermal project cost, can become critical barriers in the form of
delaying or preventing project development.

Policy Guidance

For implementing geothermal policies, NREL has identified five steps that may reduce
barriers and result in deployment and implementation of geothermal technologies that
can be used for electricity generation, such as conventional hydrothermal, enhanced
geothermal systems , geopressured, co-production, and low-temperature geothermal resources.
See the Policymakers' Guidebook for Geothermal Electricity Generation.

Social Acceptance and Education

Success in project development depends upon the attitude of affected stakeholders,
including affected members of the public, policymakers and market actors. Many of
the barriers for achieving successful renewable projects at the implementation level
can be considered as a manifestation of lack of social acceptance. NREL works to understand
public attitudes towards geothermal development and identifies best practices for
improving communication and understanding of these technologies.

Financing Guidance

NREL also offers guidance to developers and investors on how they can innovate in
new ways and develop partnerships that match investors' risk tolerance with the capital
requirements of geothermal power projects in a dynamic and evolving marketplace. See
the Guidebook to Geothermal Power Finance.